Communities for rural education, stewardship, and technology (CREST): A rural model for teacher professional development

Abstract

CREST focuses on building curricular connections between schools and their communities while integrating technology in a nonhierarchical learning environment. The investigation detailed in this chapter identifies the theoretical frameworks guiding the Communities for Rural Education, Stewardship, and Technology (CREST) professional development model, examines the design principles, and describes how this methodology leads to geospatial technology integration in the science curriculum while providing concrete examples of project implementation using GIS in middle- and high-school science classrooms. The CREST professional development (PD) model consists of a series of dynamic technology trainings, college and career-awareness events, and nonhierarchical team-building activities that occur over a 5-year period. Program evaluation has identified several key factors that lead to higher degrees of success in participating CREST schools implementing local projects including effective sustainable learning community teams and administrative support.